


The Sentinel's Spire

by minteafresha



Category: Toy Story (Movies)
Genre: Buzz arrives chapter 2, F/F, Multi, alternate universe where bo and woody never become a couple, jessie and mrs potatohead in chapter 3, slinky dog is a he/him lesbian
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-14
Packaged: 2020-10-01 23:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20436254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/minteafresha/pseuds/minteafresha
Summary: Bo Peep develops a relationship with Slinky Dog over the course of her stay in the Davis household. Each chapter is set before each of the first 3 Toy Story films.





	1. Arrival

Everyone in Andy’s room was nervous these days. Andy’s mother had been expecting for a while now. One kid was enough for the toys as it was. An empty crib stood looming in the corner of the room, adorned in blue and pink and white. No bedding yet. It was a skeleton waiting to be fully formed in all its pastel glory.

Woody called a staff meeting to start the day, like any other day.

“Slink, could you please help round everyone up for me? Staff meeting in five.”

Slinky Dog took some time to turn around as his hind legs shuffled behind him slowly. “Five what?”

“Sliiink…”

Slink smiled. “Right right, but I could do it in seconds too…” Slink proceeded to circle the room and called various toys to attention.

Rex, Hamm, Lenny, and Mr. Spell were interrupted from their book club. It happened so that they only had one copy and often had to read it out loud to get through it properly. 

Rex whined, “We were just getting to the part where Bilbo finds the ring!!! Just ten more minutes!”

Slinky said, “I’m sure ol’ Bilbo will be there when you get back.”

The other three book club members exchanged humored glances (if a Mr. Spell can give a glance) and went off to join the crowd. Rex hesitantly left the book, making sure to write the page number down in their official club minutes, which was written in crayon on a scrap of wide ruled.

Shortly after that, everyone was gathered together, and it was exactly 9:30 am. Just the way Woody liked it, right on the mark, as he checked the wall clock. He reached for Mike’s mic. “Thank you. Check check…” Woody cleared his throat. The toys stared intently but impatiently.

Woody began. “Good morning everyone! Some quick announcements. In two weeks is the Davis household olympics. Three nights starting June 17. Deadline for tryouts is next week on Thursday, before dinner is over- I’m looking at you Mr. Shark... So see Rocky for more information on that. He is the president of the Andy’s room faction.”

Rocky Gibraltar, the wrestler action figure, waved when Woody gestured to him. Rocky’s event was swimming. They used the wading pool and it was very important to get it filled up without the humans knowing. It took the whole household to get the program together: the kitchen and family room trinkets, the bath toys, the attic dwellers. And they all took pride in such coordination. 

Woody ran his hand over his doodle pad and clicked his tongue. “There’s that rumour about the D batteries being for a new toy, but no, it’s just for the portable stereo.” A sigh of relief ran through the crowd. “But that stereo is being used for the baby shower. Which is tomorrow of course.” The toys murmured among themselves, wondering what will happen.

“Surely there will be new toys then?” Mr. Potatohead offered.

Lenny said, “Of course not, there’s only gonna be clothes and bottles and stuff.”

“Well you’ll never know,” said Potatohead.

Woody silenced everyone. “Look, I just wanted to bring it up because that’s what Andy and Mom will be busy with, that’s all. The most important thing is being patient with the baby when it is actually born. Just keep your hearts open.” At this, the toys kept muttering and went back to their business.

Slinky looked to the crib, towering much higher than Andy’s bed and desk. People grow, Andy would grow, the baby would grow, but Slinky Dog would always be a little Slinky Dog. He was only a small dame in this big world, with a small gear in the community in having to assist Woody in grunt work. Lately he also felt that Woody and he were falling apart. They would rarely play Connect Four or checkers anymore. And during playing they’d use to just talk. Now Woody was all business. Maybe Woody forgot what it meant to really be a toy- to embrace love and family. 

The new baby felt like a big step away from Woody, and Andy. Slinky felt Woody would be so consumed with work and pleasing Andy that it would crash on the sheriff. 

Slink tried to ignore the tight feeling in his coils. It didn’t work. 

The next day, the toys went about their business during the party. When all the downstairs commotion was finished and cleaned up, the toys prepared for Andy to return. However, they were first greeted by Andy’s mother entering with her gifts.

Mom squatted to lower her load of boxes and bags, and then began to unpack them. The toys who were under the bed, particularly Slinky and Rex, could easily view the events unfold.

First there was a rattle and a pink teddy bear. The bear seemed like an easygoing fella. Then there was a nursery mobile, then a baby monitor radio. These were all laid carefully in the crib. Lastly was the largest box on the bottom. It was a lamp, decorated with sheep and grassy hills, which was placed on the baby’s nightstand. The rest of the parts were wrapped in paper. A sheep figurine was unwrapped and placed onto the lamp. And then there was a doll in a dress.

Curiously, Slinky poked his head out to get a better look at the figurines. They were definitely beautifully crafted. Must have been expensive. Let’s hope neither of the children break them. 

Suddenly, Slinky felt a sharp tug on one of his hind legs and he was pulled swiftly behind the shroud of the bed comforter. Rex whispered sharply, “I hope she didn’t see you.”

A little jostled from his trance, Slink said, “Thank you, Rex, but we’re safe down here.” Rex whimpered, afraid they were making too much noise. Slinky reached up and petted Rex’s nose, and Rex stopped quaking.

They soon heard the door shut and all the toys crawled out from the toybox and under the bed. Woody clambered from Andy’s pillow down to the floor.

Woody said loudly, “Howdy, newcomers! Welcome to Andy’s room, and soon to be the baby’s room too. My name is Woody, and I’m somethin’ of a sheriff around here.” He flashed his badge proudly.

The lamp figurines stared down at Woody and the rest of the toys. Teddy stood up to get a better look from within the crib. The taller figurine said, “My name is Bo Peep, and these are my sheep. It is pleasant to meet... folks whose greeting is sweet.”

Woody’s grin faltered in surprise. “Well, thank you…!” Bo Peep made a slight bow-nod and the sheep bleated in response.

Slinky Dog trudged out to get in the way of Woody. “And Ah’m Slinky Dog. And this is our friend Rex, he’s a little shy but a real peach.”

Rex said, “I’m not shy, I’m just uncomfortable with strangers!”

Slink said, “I guess you’re right there. A peach and smart cookie too.”

Bo Peep smiled and attempted to hide her face behind her shepherd’s crook.

The teddy bear said, “Thank you for such a warm welcome. Those tchotchkes downstairs aren’t very polite.”

Woody said, “Now, let’s not be ones to gossip, Ms. Bear.”

The teddy bear said, “Please, call me Teddy.”

Woody smiled and walked over to Teddy and reached up and shook her paw. Woody turned and waved up at Bo Peep and the sheep. “Can you come down from there? It would be easier to talk to everyone…” He turned to Slink. “A little help?”

Slinky Dog wasn’t listening. He was so happy about the turnout of the baby shower; these three toys seemed very smart and polite. It was usually a tough-mannered or wacky toy who would join Andy’s room from time to time.

Woody said, “Slinky Dog…”

Slink jolted stiff and looked at Woody. 

Woody said, “Could you help Miss Peep and the sheep down?”

Slink fake-coughed and looked awkwardly between Bo Peep and Woody. “Yes Woody, right on it Woody.”

Slink took a few paces backwards to compress himself, and then launched himself upward. He made an arc past the sheep, then behind the nightstand. He held onto the back edge of it. His hindquarters followed until they hung off the other edge of the nightstand. Slink steadied himself and exhaled. He looked over his shoulder at Bo Peep. “Just hang onto my bottom there and it’ll bring you safely to the ground. PER-fectly safe. I’m a professional.”

Bo Peep carefully stepped off her platform and toward the edge of the nightstand. A long way down for a porcelain toy. She murmured, “I take confidence in knowing you are…” She leaned down and hooked her crook onto Slink’s coils. With her other arm she held onto her sheep. Bo closed her eyes and jumped. When she opened her eyes, she was safely on the ground, as promised. She lifted Slinky’s behind in the air so she wouldn’t get hit with it and let it go. 

Slinky jumped down from the nightstand. Bo said to him, “Thank you, Miss Slinky Dog. That was really an effortless descent.”

Slinky smiled, and traced lines in the ground with his paw. “Don’t mention it. And call me Slink.”

Woody approached Bo, still confused over the extreme witty politeness happening right now. He shook Bo’s hand. “Welcome aboard.”

Bo looked slyly at Woody, knowing well that he was stumped. “It’s nice to be here.” She turned to meet the rest of the toys.

Hamm said to Slinky, “I don’t think Andy’s gonna like this one. So frilly and dainty.”

Slinky said, “Whas wrong with frilly, Pinky??”

Hamm rolled his eyes. “Just concerned about Andy.”

Lenny said, “This is for the baby, not Andy!”

Hamm said, “Well she’s here anyway.”

Slinky looked at Bo Peep talking to RC. She was certainly a fresh face around here. Maybe change wasn’t so bad after all.

Three weeks later, Molly was born.

Andy had a babysitter while his mom was away, and he was playing with his toys. As far as he was concerned, there was no babysitter at all and he could play as long as he wanted. 

He grabbed Bo Peep from her perch and the pink troll doll. He put them in a shoebox with Woody. “Choo choooo. A beautiful day on the Mississippi!” Andy pushed them along for a little and then he used Mr. Shark to be a river monster. Andy sported a high pitched voice. “Sheriff! What ever shall we do???” He used his Woody voice- “GET DOWN!” He flattened all three dolls and the river monster went soaring above their heads. He made splashing noises and made Woody wrestle the shark. He also pretended Bo and the troll were throwing random objects at the shark.

In the middle of the heated battle, Andy’s aunt arrived and interrupted the scene. It was time to drive Andy to the hospital to see his mom and Molly. Once they were gone and the babysitter went home, the toys convened and talked about the baby, for like the third time that day. Bo Peep stood up and helped the troll doll to get out of the shoebox. Woody went off to hang out with Etch, to make plans about the possibilities of the behavior of the baby.

The house was completely empty now, but the toys stayed in the room anyway. Everyone was too excited. The crib was furnished and ready. The sight of it was no longer sore, but a sign of new beginnings.

Bo Peep turned the box upside down and sat on it. Slinky came out from under the bed to talk to her. Eyeing the crib, he said, “Your kid is born now. Finally someone to really look after, huh?”

Bo said, “Yes, but I think Andy is my kid too.”

Slinky looked up at her fondly. “That’s true. He really does love you. I don’t know why.”

Bo laughed. “I think it’s because he thinks I’m supposed to be some kind of queen to go with Woody. I wouldn’t call myself one.”

Slinky plopped down and folded his arms. “Why not? You’re elegant, you stand higher than Woody could ever dream.”

“No, that sounds more like you.” Bo said. She used the butt end of her crook to nudge Slinky’s paw.

Slinky absentmindedly nudged back, concentrating his eyes on a point on the ground. “I must confess, that makes no sense, Miss Bo Peep.” He managed to look at Bo. “I ain’t no glitterin’ star. I live with the dust bunnies.”

“Well,” Bo said, withdrawing her crook and laying it across her lap. “You should know that you are the most beautiful rose, thorns and all. I know you take care of Rex and Woody and everyone better than anyone else. I’m very new to all this and I am glad you are around to do what you do, or else we would all be so, so lost.”

Slinky stood up and climbed onto the box. “I guess that makes sense since you’re a shepherd. You ought to learn a thing or two if you wanna keep from bein’ lost.”

Bo scrunched her face into a weird smile. It made her look so funny but Slinky loved it. Bo said, “That’s true! That is so true.”

Slinky hung his head. “But I’ll be honest with you, Bo Peep.” He looked up at Bo again. “No one’s ever said anything like that to me. Thank you.”

Bo said, “I think _ you _ should be the leader, Slink, not Woody.”

Slinky said, “Woody is my friend, and Andy’s favorite toy. I know he’ll get turned around in the end. I feel it in my... in my spring.”

Bo made that funny face again, and said, “Your spring…” Slinky still looked solemn, so Bo frowned again. She drummed her hands on her staff. “Oh, well, I do hope you’re right.”

The next day, Molly came home. She was as sweet and annoying and perfect as babies come.

From then on, Bo Peep stood vigilantly by Molly as the baby wriggled about and put Teddy’s paws in her mouth (oh what a trooper that Teddy was) and as she slept. Bo watched when Molly would cry in the day and cry in the night and cry if she turned over the wrong way. Bo would rarely ever rest. Her sheep slept when they had to, but not Bo. Maybe it had something to do with being part of an electrical appliance. Maybe Woody’s overattentiveness rubbed off on her. Maybe it was the secret promise she made to herself about Slinky.

After that conversation when Molly was born, Bo felt the need to pull her own weight and do whatever she could to help Slinky. Bo went to every community event. She aided smaller toys in things that bigger toys could do better, like getting to higher places. This induced the need to be able to break down constructions before a human could enter the room. The possibility of being discovered distressed Woody immensely, but Bo and Slinky were good at what they did.

Slink told her time and time again that she didn’t have to keep night watch. Bo understood this. It was even a strange phenomenon to her as well. With Andy, Bo never felt the need to keep watch, but that was because the boy had Woody. Slinky was right about having her own kid. This was different.

One night, Bo Peep decided to walk around the room instead of standing with the lamp. She often did this on some nights, but became tired after a few hours. It was always so peaceful and quiet.

She became a little drowsy around 4 am. Beneath the nightstand, Bo stacked some alphabet blocks to get a foothold on the bottom of the crib, and then jumped off to catch her crook on the top knob of the nightstand. She swung herself up and onto the surface of the nightstand. The sheep bleated in amazement. Bo said, “That never fails to entertain you, does it?”

The sheep heads bleated again, but in a more serious tone. Bo sighed. The sheep had said that Bo was almost turning into Woody, and she had to stop staying up so much. Bo said, “I know.” 

Bo looked over to Woody, resting soundly under the covers with Andy. “But I don’t think I’m like him. Woody’s got the hang of this. I think it’s because he has everything he wants.” She looked down at the sheep. “I don’t even _ know _ what _ I _ want. I mean, we just got out of wrapping paper two months ago. There’s still a lot of things to figure out.” Bo knelt and petted her sheep. The sheep nuzzled their heads into Bo’s midriff.

Bo straightened up in her doll position and slept, eyes wide open. Nevertheless, she was able to sleep for the next three and a half hours.

Andy woke up and got ready for school. He slipped on his backpack, and then brandished Woody in Molly’s face. “Morning, Miss Muffet.”

Andy pulled Woody’s string. Woody’s muffled voice box shouted, “Yeehaw! Giddy up, partner, we gotta get this wagon train a-movin'!”

The baby, laying on her back, stared up at Andy and the ragdoll, and almost grabbed Woody with her sticky hands. Andy drew his doll back in the nick of time. He ran out of the room and pulled the door closed with a loud slam. Molly winced at the door slamming and started to cry.

Bo looked down in horror. She ordered Teddy who was nearby on Andy’s desk, “Get in there!”

Teddy said, “Already? We just woke up. Mom will calm her down.”

Bo rolled her eyes and leaned as far as she could into the crib. “Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird…”

Molly searched for the source of the voice. Her eyes caught onto the mobile above. Bo noticed this, and Bo reached her crook out and pulled the mobile so it would turn. “And if that mockingbird won't sing, Mama's gonna buy you a diamond ring.” Molly had become mesmerised. Bo continued, “And if that diamond ring turns brass, Mama's gonna buy you a looking glass.”

Molly sucked on her fingers and watched the mobile.

“And if that looking glass gets broke, Mama's gonna buy you a billy goat.”

Molly seemed satisfied. This was lucky, because at that moment, Andy came clamoring back into the room. Bo frantically resumed her position. Woody was no longer in Andy’s hand (he was in the backpack). Andy collected his baby sister and left the room again. Of course, Andy had to put Molly in the car so she wouldn’t be left alone in the house, even if it was only for 15 minutes.

There was a moment of silence. At the sound of the car engine starting, Andy’s room slowly came to life. The toys spilled out of the toy box, including Slink. He had been relocated to the box this time since Andy was told to clean his room the day before.

Slinky Dog shook the sleep out if his body and walked around the room. He was in charge until Woody came back.

“Good morning, chief,” Hamm called down from the desk as Slink passed. Hamm was counting his coins. Slink wondered if any of that money was stolen, but that would just mean more for Andy. Probably improbable then.

Everyone else greeted Slink amicably. Rex had a crossword puzzle and asked about a 10 letter synonym for competition. Slink said that competition is already 10 letters but Rex said no. Rocky Gibraltar was doing push ups and Slink complimented him.

The only person who did not seek to greet Slink was Bo Peep.

Bo Peep’s participation in the community shed more light on Slinky’s work. She put in a good word for him constantly - “Slinky taught me how to get up the dresser this way,” “Slinky makes a lot of effort in making sure other toys are cleaned.” Slink felt he had to repay her kindness.

And now he felt there was something bothering Bo today. Everyone had heard the door slam debacle unfold from within the toy chest. The other toys did not pay it any mind since nothing bad actually happened. 

Slink coiled up in front of the nightstand and leapt up toward it However, he fell short of the top and began to fall. But then something snagged onto him and suspended him. It was Bo, holding onto Slink with her crook curled around his spring.

“Gotcha.”

Slink sheepishly strained to look up. He wheezed, “Thank you kindly.” Bo and the sheep hoisted the springy dog up and Bo unhooked him. Slink said, “That was an awful pretty song you were singin’.”

Bo said, “Thank you, dear. I know I shouldn’t have. I just had to, though.”

Slink raised an eyebrow. “What’re you so sorry for?”

Bo wrung her staff nervously, and looked between Slink and the sheep. “Woody would be mad if he found out.”

“I… I won’t tell him,” Slink said.

Bo looked at him uncertainly; she knew Slink was a sister in arms to Woody.

Slink looked into those sad baby blues… “I truly promise I won’t, if it means that much to you.” He held out his paw as a handshake. Bo held it with both hands. The sheep, still cowering in Bo’s billowing skirt, saw this as a sign and decided to scuttle off to join Teddy. Bo and Slink didn’t notice.

Bo said, “I was almost seen by Andy. I moved out of my place to the edge of this nightstand to sing to Molly. I felt like I was gonna fall.” Bo Peep shuddered. “I won’t move like that ever again but I just wanted to tell you because… b-because...” She struggled to find her words. Slinky looked at her patiently and sweetly. Bo finished, “...because... I couldn’t not tell someone.”

“I’m glad you told me,” Slinky said. He tossed his head side to side thoughtfully, making his ears flop about. “You were careful and learned a little. But I really want you to know you don’t have to be there for Molly every moment.”

Their hands were still clasped together. Bo said, “It’s my responsibility.”

“You’re only a toy, for Pete’s sake. Not a human. You are… Molly’s beacon. All you gotta do is shine, and she’ll find her way.” Slink lifted Bo’s hands to his mouth, and kissed them. “You sure are a whirlwind of a gal.”

Bo Peep swiveled in the breeze of adoration. “Oh Slinky. You’re such a stalwart star. You outshine me.”

Every one of Bo’s worries about the Davis children seemed to melt away and swirl around with all her new feelings. Bo finally understood what it meant to be a toy. Love does mean sacrifice, but it doesn’t mean sacrificing your own happiness. 

Slinky Dog felt so enamoured in Bo Peep’s resilience and generosity and confidence. He wanted to learn how to be a better leader because of her.

There was so much ahead of them that they would see together as the children grew. Bo Peep became a sentinel turned royalty- from the kiss of a Queen Slinky Dog.  



	2. Meet In the Middle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is very talkative and Woody is characterized weirdly but I did my best! Enjoy...

Molly was 2 years old, and Andy was 7. The Davis family and toys had been through nearly a year in their new house. Changes large and small had happened within that year for everyone. The biggest change of all was a stocky Buzz Lightyear doll who had flipped the status quo.

Buzz was everyone’s new favorite. Even Woody had to admit that Andy was very happy with having such a Swiss army knife of an action figure. He had become part of the family now, and Woody and Buzz became very close after almost getting left behind together. Buzz had also gained the status as a nearly indestructible protector or Andy’s room. Brave, charismatic, resourceful. Everything a right hand man should be.

It was great to have a new dedicated member like him. Slinky Dog needed all the help he could get in assisting smaller toys. Buzz was actually a lot like how Bo started out: helping around in every way possible, making sure to be a friend to every toy. It was a good thing about this too, because Molly had her own room now, and that meant Bo went with her. Despite all of Buzz’s strengths, he was still adjusting to life as a toy. Luckily Woody, Slinky, and the rest were there to help Buzz help them.

Tonight, Slinky Dog was awake and restless. He had not seen Bo Peep in a while, maybe 8 days. That was a long time if you were used to seeing someone every day. It was not much of an issue though; Andy still played with her. Things actually had gotten even better for her since the move. Thanks to sci fi movies featuring women in better light, she was happy to be involved in more playtimes where she was a pilot or diplomat or war general. The sheep served as her trusty steed in many cases.

It just happened to be one of those weeks where Andy forgot or was too busy.

Slink slinked out from under Andy’s bed and across the floor. Once he got to the door, he turned to look back up at Andy, who was softly illuminated in his nightlight’s glow. He was sleeping soundly with both Buzz and Woody. 

But, as if there were sensors in the doorway, Buzz’s eyes suddenly blinked to life. He was known to be a light sleeper, so this was not surprising. Buzz peered through the veil of the night, and found Slinky. Slinky held his breath, fearing the volatile alertness of Buzz would wake Woody or Andy. He was wrong. 

Buzz turned his head slightly to look at Andy. There was no way he could move freely.

Slinky Dog returned to get closer to Buzz and said, “Don’t follow me.”

Buzz stared long and hard at Slink, and Slink wasn’t sure if he heard him or if the space toy was going to be disobedient. Buzz looked at the door. Then he closed his eyes once more.

Slink felt this silence of secrecy was his own doing, but it was all part of being a toy. It was an unusual and thrilling feeling, as if he controlled the fate of the world. Slink’s nonexistent heart beat rapidly as he continued through nonexistent dangers. 

The hallway was ghostly at night. The stairs beside it felt like a terrifying canyon. Slink was not afraid of the dark; he was just afraid of being so out in the open alone like this. He squeezed himself through the crack in the doorway, and skittered through the hall. 

Once Slink got to the other side, he said under his breath, “Oh grits and gravy.” Molly’s door was completely shut. 

Slinky stepped back a few paces and tried to jump to the doorknob. He only achieved a soft clatter against the door. One more try and then he’d give up. But it was no use. 

Before Slink could ignore his own deal with himself, there was a knock heard from the other side. Slink froze. In a moment of panic, Slink began running back across the hallway. Then a click and a creak was heard. Slink almost screamed.

Yet even through a cloud of fear, Slink’s faux dog ears could pick up the faintest call of his name. 

Bo Peep stood in the small opening in Molly’s door. A blanket was crumpled behind her. She must have used it as a rope to get to the doorknob. Her crook was also tucked behind her, through the holes of the frills in her skirt. Bo Peep silently stepped out into the hallway. “Darling, all you have to do is knock and I will answer.”

Slinky Dog, embarrassed, said, “Just wanted to try my paw at it. Could ya blame a gal?”

Bo Peep knelt and smoothed her arms around Slink, and kissed him. “It was a nice gesture.” Slinky Dog melted into Bo’s touch and curled his head over her shoulder in return.

Still in embrace, Bo said, “Let’s go somewhere.”

Slink replied, “Like where? The kitchen?”

Bo undid her arms to place her hands on Slink’s shoulders. She whispered, “Let’s go outside.”

“Outside? _ Outside? _” Slink said. “There are animals, real ones, and cars and maybe people. What’s so good about outside?” 

Bo Peep had a dreamy look in her eye. She gestured to the window of the stairwell. “If you know where to hide, then you can see more than you did before.”

“...Well if you put it that way… I s’pose if you’re there then it’s worth goin’ down tryin’.”

A grin spread across Bo Peep’s face. “Then what are we waiting for?” Bo rushed to the staircase and carefully but quickly began making her way down. 

Slinky Dog waddled to the top of the stairs and let the front of his body cascade like a waterfall onto the second step. His hind legs followed and he did a backflip onto the third step. His front followed, and so on. Dumbfounded, Bo watched Slink pass her. Slinky said, “This is how I always go down the stairs.”

Bo said, “I highly doubt that.” 

After Slink reached the first floor of the house, he turned and waited for Bo Peep, which didn’t take very long. 

Once Bo reached the last step, Slink said, “Woody and I used to race each other up and down the stairs all the time. Did you know we were together in the very beginning? When Andy’s grandpa was just a boy?”

Bo motioned for Slink to follow her to the back door of the house. She said, “What was Woody like before?”

Slink pondered, aiming to cook up the best answer he could give. They reached the doggy door. Slinky Dog slipped outside first. 

In the moonlight, Slink felt like everything was suddenly so lucid: the past, present, and future. Slink could see every flower, every leaf, every star. Every worm tunneling through the ground was felt. What was impossible could be possible.

Slinky walked to the middle of the yard and laid on his back to stare at the sky.

Bo laid there next to him. She said, “Do you know how to tell the story?”

“Everything has never been more clear to me than right now,” Slinky said in a hushed tone.

Bo found Orion and studied it. “I told you it would.”

Slink closed his eyes to feel the earth’s rhythm. Slink said, “When I was new, Daniel, Andy’s grandfather, was 6 years old. Every kid loved Westerns, especially that Danny. And one Christmas, a Woody doll appeared in his room. That was our sheriff. Woody was so happy and bright and full of spunk.” Slink paused and opened his eyes. “He was.”

Bo turned over and pulled at the grass. “I can’t imagine what it’s like to miss someone who is still around.”

Slink turned as well. With a barely audible voice, Slink said, “But I think you do know.” And Bo knew Slinky was talking about himself. She looked into his face. So much longing was in it, yearning for the past.

Bo said, “Tell me about what happened to Woody.”

Slink said, “He was Danny’s favorite toy. And he was Henry’s favorite toy.” 

“Who’s Henry?”

Slink blinked as if to blink tears. “Andy’s father.”

“Oh.” Bo felt a heaviness in her heart and didn’t want to ask questions anymore. 

Slink sighed. “Any...anyway Woody was a good man. He’s my brother. He was the first toy in the family who knew how to make the most of down time. He found things out by risking his neck and checking what time people in the family would go in and out.” Slink smiled. “Woody once got his hat taken by uh Henry’s pet bird. Was a cockatoo, a big thing. Henry fished the hat out of the cage in the end. So Woody learned never to cross that bird! Me neither, that critter was vicious.” Slink had a knit brow as he thought more about the bird. “Almost bit my ear off but Woody saved me...”

Bo caught herself almost falling asleep to Slink’s soothing voice. She decided to sit up.

Slink remained on the ground. “You know, Woody really is somethin’ else. He tried to teach me chess but I was never good at chess so we started playing checkers… and I was actually good at it. I was so happy because that was the one thing I could really do... At the time at least, but it meant so much to me. And I think Woody really wanted people to feel at home, you know?”

Bo nodded slowly and said, “I do know.” She looked up at the glistening sky.

Slink continued. “I don’t know what happened. But I’m glad he’s getting better. Buzz is really bringing him back to the person he truly is.”

They remained in silence for a while, thankful for Buzz, thankful for the precious moment of solitude in a world that would never give them rest.

Bo finally said, “I found a nest in a tree. Would you like to see it?”

Slink said, “I would like more to know how you got up to it.”

And so they stood up together. The arc of the half moon curved like a certain shepherd’s crook.

In the daytime, Bo had returned to her post. Slink waited patiently for the rest of the toys to wake up.

With the bed unmade, Andy left the room. Slinky Dog peeped his head out and looked up at the bed. Another head peeked over the edge. Buzz said, “Good morning, Slink!”

Slink was slightly startled and said, “G’mornin’!”

Buzz began to clamber down the bedside until Woody grabbed his arm.

Woody said, “Remember Andy usually has to come back to make his bed. Don’t move please.”

Buzz said, “Ah. My mistake, Sheriff. I just wanted to say hello.”

Woody smiled a tired smile as he pulled Buzz back from the edge. “You’re right. Good morning, Buzz.”

Andy finished his cereal and returned to his room 10 minutes later to tidy up. He placed Buzz and Woody neatly on the bed again when he was finished. Andy said, “Okay, goodbye Buzz. Goodbye Woody! See you after school!”

Buzz stood up and stretched once Andy was gone for the second time. He went over to the TV to turn on the morning news. He took out a piece of lined paper, and creased and trimmed it to make a square. Then he started folding it.

Woody went to sit next to him and watched the news. Not that it mattered what news was happening that a toy should care about.

Buzz cleanly folded the paper until it resembled something like a frog. It was bigger than his head. He pressed the back down on the origami frog, and made it jump and crash into the screen. Buzz laughed and went to grab another sheet of paper. “You want one, Woody?”

Woody said, “No thanks.”

Buzz let go of the paper pile. “Oh. What about something else? Like a throwing star? I think you’d like one of those.”

Woody said nothing. Temperatures were looking to be around 30 degrees Fahrenheit across the week.

“What’s wrong, Woody?” Buzz asked.

Woody said sternly, “There are rules around here for the purpose of safety, and lately I don’t think you’re taking it very seriously.”

Buzz said, “I take you seriously.”

Woody said, “No, I had to stop you. I also noticed you go out of your way to do things for toys that break the rules. Like going into the kitchen to get snacks and bringing it back and attracting ants. Toys don’t need food and you get Andy in trouble.”

“Look, I noticed the errors in my ways,” Buzz said. “It’s all a learning process. These rules aren’t really in a rulebook anywhere. I have to remember them.”

Woody, at a loss, tried to argue again. “I know… I don’t know why I’m still mad at you.”

Buzz said, “You’re allowed to be mad at me. But we need to figure out why.”

The two of them contemplated upon everything that happened to them that could lead up to this.

The TV was on commercial break. An infomercial about a blender.

After a while, Woody said, “I’d like an origami thing now. Can you teach me?”

“Which one, the frog?” Buzz moved to get two new pieces of paper.

“Yeah, the frog.” Woody took the paper. He started trimming it like Buzz did. “How did you learn to make these anyway?”

“There’s a book downstairs,” Buzz said. “I know exploring is against the rules…”

Woody tried to keep his dismay under wraps. “Just as long as you’re careful, I guess.”

Buzz didn’t say anything. He folded the paper in half to show how to start making the frog. Woody copied him.

Meanwhile, Bo Peep was handling things in her own domain.

The toys in Molly’s room enjoyed making dance routines and writing songs on the xylophone. They had a talent show the last Thursday of each month which allowed Molly’s toys to return to Andy’s room to perform. They organized the musical accompaniment with Mike a few days beforehand.

On this day, Bo Peep and her sheep were talking to the two rag dolls. 

The blonde rag doll, Dolly, said, “Since Andy’s in school, and Molly and Mom stay downstairs all day, I don’t see why we can’t visit during the day, besides for the talent show.”

Bo shook her head. “Against the rules. Woody would kick you out anyway.”

Cal, the large rag doll with a crop of green yarn for hair, wrapped an arm around Dolly. “Bo helps you see Robot and Snake during the night so I don’t see why you would want more time.”

Dolly shrugged off Cal’s arm. “It’s just different. I think it’s because I’ve known what it’s like to live in Andy’s room, and you’re newer, Cal.”

Bo said, “I know what it’s like, too. We all have to do what we have to do. Most importantly, we are here together. You have your sibling.” Dolly looked up at Cal. Bo looked down at the sheep, and then looked back to the rag dolls. Bo said, “I think what we have is good.”

Dolly twisted her own arm, painlessly but unhappily. “But don’t you think you deserve more?”

Bo didn’t know how to answer that, and thought a moment. To keep up morale, she said, “There is nothing more that I would rather have than to have a family like you.”

At that, the rag dolls felt better about the whole situation and then went to join Teddy (the music director) and the others in choir practice. Bo was not much of a performer, so she just watched from her lamp.

Right then, the door opened a little and Buzz stepped inside. Bo was taken aback. Her fellow knight Buzz, straying from his post? She called down to him, “Buzz, what a wonderful surprise! What brings you here?”

Buzz said, “I need to talk to you. I need advice.”

Bo jumped down from the nightstand to the crib and then the ground. “About?”

Buzz held his arms behind his back. “Well, it’s mostly about Woody. And I know you were a new toy a few years back, and you’re married to Woody’s sister.”

“Those things are true,” Bo said.

“How did you get used to Woody? He’s so difficult.” Buzz moved his arms to his front and gestured carrying a weight. “I love him and he loves me. But he’s still mad at me.”

Bo put a hand on Buzz’s shoulder. “That is how Woody is. I’ve known him to be like that ever since I met him.”

Buzz said, “That… doesn’t help.”

“Then why do you think he’s mad?”

“I think he’s still jealous of me. He wants to stay in control and doesn’t want me to do anything out of step.”

Bo said, “He doesn’t want anyone to be out of step. And you’re a leader too. You set an example, so he cares about you most of all.” She removed her hand from Buzz’s shoulder.

“I guess… he does do it out of tough love,” Buzz said. He was trying to wrap his head around the thought that Woody was acting out of his own nature instead of pointed anger. “He said I was breaking some rules. I really think it was my fault, going to different rooms when I’m not supposed to.”

To Buzz’s surprise, Bo’s face lit up. She said, “You know, Slink told me Woody used to be a risk-taker. He explored the house so that other toys didn’t have to.”

Buzz said, “He did? Are you sure this is the same Woody?”

Bo replied sadly, “Yes, but he did it alone. There were no Olympics or anything during those times.”

“...Probably since in the end he wants everyone…”

“To be safe,” they said in unison.

“Yes,” Bo said, “That is how it falls together for Woody, isn’t it?”

Hope for resolution dawned on Buzz. So Woody really was just being protective! He said, “Then it’s not me! He’s not mad at me.”

“He’s not mad at you,” Bo repeated.

Buzz remembered something else. “I need to tell Slinky something too.”

“Hm? If you need to tell him, you can tell me.”

Buzz said, reluctantly, “I saw him last night, sneaking out into the hallway. Do you know about this?”

Bo gulped. “Yes… he went to see me. It’s my fault. I help other toys meet at night too, not just Slinky.”

“Bo!” Buzz said. It was now his turn to be shocked. “I cannot believe you. Vigilant Bo Peep!”

“Well, you did shake things up around here,” Bo said with a hint of mischief. “I felt like I could break the rules since you became co-leader. You’re more understanding and forgiving, I think.”

Buzz said, “I understand where you’re coming from, but I’m sorry to say I understand where Woody is coming from too. Safety is safety. I do the most I can to bend the rules, but Woody really ought to know this is happening under his nose.” He turned to go and tattle like the soldier he was.

“Buzz! I guided them. How is that not safe?”

But Buzz ignored her. Bo watched him storm out, back through the hallway. Wait… what was she doing?! She rushed after him, hoping to make amends before everything fell apart.

The toys in Molly’s room fell silent and curiously tried to see what Bo was doing through the doorway. Teddy tapped her bandstand with the spoon she used as a baton. “Attention! She’s off on another quest. We still have another 20 minutes left of practice. Attention please!”

The toys complied, but still kept an ear out for Bo’s return.

Bo caught up to Buzz before he could get to Woody. Woody was playing charades with a large group of toys, and Hamm, who was on his team, was up. 

Hamm was kicking his hind legs in a circular motion. 

“Swimming,” Woody said.

“Motorboat,” Lenny said.

“You’re a fish! An octopus!” Mrs. Potatohead shouted.

Hamm groaned. It wasn’t aquatic!

Bo and Buzz approached the scene. Bo said to Buzz, “I won’t let you speak for me. And I’m sure he will understand. He always does.”

Buzz said, “Woody, there’s something wrong. We need a leader meeting.”

“Oh, all four of us?” Woody seemed to have calmed down a lot after what happened in the morning. He got up and said, “Sure, whatever you say.”

The electronic voice of Mr. Spell announced, “Time. Is. Up.”

Hamm burst in a pink ball of fury. “I’m a BICYCLE. A bicycle!”

Everyone laughed and jeered.

Mrs. Potatohead said, “Aren’t your front legs supposed to be rotating too?”

Hamm said, “No, the gears of the bike turn the back wheel!”

Slinky said, “That makes it a broken bike.”

Woody said, “Alright alright, you did a good job Hamm. Slink and I will be back.” He pushed Slink away from the crowd. “Buzz called a leader meeting, Slink.”

“Seems every hour there’s some kinda meeting happening and I’m tired of it.” Slink trudged out to lead the group under the bed. Woody lifted the curtain so the shorter two could pass through.

They all had to sit except for Slinky. Slinky said, “So what’s the news Buzz?”

Buzz said, “Woody, you need to have full transparency on the goings on in this house, correct?”

Woody said slowly, “Yyyes…. But not _ everything _. Just the important things.”

Buzz said, “Oh, this is important.”

Bo said, “Woody, I have been assisting and guiding folks around the house so they can spend more time together. My family misses your family.”

Woody stared at Bo in disbelief. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Bo said, “With your track record, we thought you would be mad. But now I see that you… aren’t?”

Woody said, “Well, I was thinking this morning, and I thought I was mad at Buzz. But now I see that I am just afraid of change. Things have been the way they are for a long time. I was the only leader for a long time. But you changed everything, Buzz.” Woody and Buzz shared a smile for a moment. “You too, Bo. And I had to take a little while to learn that we don’t need all these rules. Responsibility shifts and new things rise. 

Bo said, “So what are the new rules?”

Woody said, “We stay together, and we stay safe. That is it.” He held onto Slinky beside him. “But please communicate if you do anything dangerous… Losing a friend’s trust is just the same as losing a friend.”

Slink shook his head around happily. “Well golly bob howdy, you really had me goin’ there, I thought we were gonna be in trouble!” 

Buzz said to Woody, “So we’re okay?”

“I love you very much, Buzz. You were just doing your part and I was too stuck in the past to realize that.” Woody wrapped his other arm around Buzz.

Bo said, “Aw, Woody!” She wrapped her arms around all three of them (she has unusually long arms). 

Woody said, “Bo… I… can’t… breathe!”

Bo let go, and she, Buzz, and Slinky all laughed. 

Slinky said, “Bo Peep could crush a thousand ships with those arms. I think that’s how the saying goes.”

“Now it does,” Bo said, giving Slink a peck on the tip of his nose.

Four days later, it was Thursday. It was time for the talent show.

Slink Dog was MC. He was dressed to the nines in a little feather boa made of pink craft feathers glued together, and a plain maroon handkerchief tied over one shoulder and draped over his back. His tail was topped with a little hoop earring.

They made a stage out of the space under Andy’s desk. Connecting the top of the desk to the floor was a staircase made out of the chair, a step stool, boxes, and Legos.

All of Andy’s and Molly’s toys were gathered around the floor and on the bed, chattering excitedly. Bo Peep was the only one not in the crowd; instead she was keeping watch, as always, by the door. 

The window blinds were drawn by the Potatoheads. Everyone went silent, and waited in the dim mid-morning glow. 

The spotlight went on, the desk lamp. It was pointed at the top of the desk. There was Slinky Dog, and he graciously started down the makeshift stairs. Toys hooted and hollered and applauded. Slinky Dog then leaped past the last five steps of the stairs, and crashed at the bottom. It was very amusing until he bounced up and landed perfectly on all four feet. The toys cheered even louder.

Slink grabbed the microphone and said, “Now, I’m not what you’re here for! Well… I may be what you’re here for. But boy have we a show for you!”

Some more toys went down the stairs: the sheep and the pink troll. Together they carried Etch.

Slinky said, “Your wonderful judges today: Billy, Goat, Gruff, Saffron, and Etch N Sketch. Don’t drop him now, ladies.” The judges seated themselves at a table at the front of the stage. The judges table was just a small whiteboard supported by two alphabet blocks.

The first performance was Robot and Snake with a comedy skit. It had something to do with a waiter and a picky customer with a fly in their soup, which turned out to be DNA evidence that revealed that the waiter and customer were long lost brothers. The second performance was Teddy and the choir, and they were REALLY good at acapella. Teddy even wrote an original song that had almost moved Rex to tears. Up next was a solo song by one of Molly’s figurines, accompanied by Cal on xylophone.

There were many other great performances. Next was Woody and Buzz, and they had prepared a dance to a new song that always played on MTV and the radio. They had recorded a tape of it, and Slinky put it in Mike’s cassette player.

“Put your paws and flippers together for the unstoppable duo, Buzz and Woody! With Spiderwehhhhbs.” The way Slinky said it made every song feel like a country song.

The dance was very simple. Woody had insisted on using a tap dance and swing style, but Buzz made a compromise by making the steps a little easier for him. It seemed that Woody had two left feet and could barely keep up with Buzz. But everyone thoroughly enjoyed the dance due to the fact that they actually managed to match with the song, and they looked so happy together.

The next hour ran on until the program was nearly over.

“Now everybody,” Slink said, “I’ve been told that we have a last-minute final performance! I have no idea who is next. But they will be singing They Say It’s Spring by Blossom Dearie. Funny, it’s still January.” Laughter sounded off like clockwork as Slink stepped off the stage and waited for the singer.

In the dark, the click of Mike’s play button was heard. Soft piano music drifted hazily out of the speakers. The spotlight shone on the other end of the stage. It was Bo Peep.

Surprised, Slink turned his head to the door. There were Buzz and Woody watching the hallway. Slink could see the green glow of Buzz’s plating. It seemed they were having their own private moment.

Bo Peep was draped in one of Andy’s mother’s scarves and looked absolutely ethereal and angelic. Slinky did not notice his mouth drop open in awe.

Bo Peep began singing the song, “_ When I was young, I lived in a world of dreams… of moods and myths and illusionary schemes… _” As she sang, she walked to the other end of the stage to meet Slinky Dog. Bo reached out and shut Slink’s jaw, and then went to take his paw.

Bo pulled Slink into performance spotlight, but all Slink’s eyes were only for her.

Everyone in the crowd swayed at Bo’s beautiful voice. They all knew she was no dramatic showperson, and the only one she was really singing for was Slink.

“_ Did I need spring? To bring that ring that you bought me. _” Bo moved the microphone to Slink. 

Slink sang, voice rusty and lovely as ever, “_ Though it was spring... that wondrous day that you caught me. Darling I thought we knew... _”

They sang together, “_ That it wasn’t spring… ‘T’was you! _”

Who won the talent show? The little figurine with her solo. But at the end of the day, everyone went back to business with a song in their hearts and love in the air.


	3. Premonition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bo Peep knows she is destined to leave. Jessie and Mrs. Potatohead put on a balancing act.

Years passed. Molly grew. Molly loved the park and pretending the jungle gym was a spy base. She loved playing in the rain. She loved playing with her brother while he was still young. Bo Peep would rarely get taken outside to be played with. Maybe Andy would bring her outside, and even more rarely she would be able to see Molly play outside. Ms. Davis would scold Andy for putting such a fragile doll in danger.

Every time Andy would play with Bo in the front yard, she wanted to stay out there forever. Once you’ve tasted something, it is hard to go back to what you used to have. 

Around 2007, Bo spent a lot of time brooding, turned around the wrong way on her lampstand and staring outside at the street. The other toys in the room still led their usual lives. They now had board games and card games to play, some of them hand-me-downs. Because of this, Bo felt like she was always Andy’s doll- and so did her fellows from the baby years too. Molly still had a lot of her dolls from then because most of them were stuffed. There was a lot of sentimental value attached to them; she couldn’t really hug a teething ring to comfort herself anyways. 

Slinky Dog was always stuck in Andy’s toy box with his family. However, he always found a way to visit Bo Peep. Slink would keep out of sight if there was ever an interruption. 

This moment was one of those moments. Slink was under Molly’s bed. Molly was about 12 years old at this time. Molly was writing something in her diary. It would be a while until she would go away. Bo Peep watched her write. She could easily see what she was writing since Molly was on her bed. Something about getting used to middle school, and gossiping about teachers and peers.

At the sight of her sweet little pea growing up, Bo Peep’s heart fluttered.  _ Oh Molly, if only I could speak to you and tell you how proud I am of you.  _ Bo Peep’s heart ached at the thought of never being able to let Molly know how much she loved her.

Bo shook herself (in her mind, of course, since she couldn’t move) and remembered that Jessie said that she couldn’t depend on a singular kid’s love. Jessie had to learn that the hard way and didn’t want anyone else to suffer the same fate.

Molly gnawed on her pencil as she thought. It had a pencil topper that was a little orange cat. She grasped a new thought:  _ Andy is almost done with high school. I am so excited to get into high school… The girls I see there look so grown up! Middle school is already a big step, so it is hard for me to imagine what high school will be like. Do I have to make an effort to be popular like in movies? Maybe! Maybe not. _

She continued like this and wrote about older girls’ appearances, and complained how Mom wouldn’t give her much makeup yet. Molly felt she had spent her thoughts, and closed the diary and locked it. As Molly put the dairy on her bookshelf, she noticed her old picture books that she didn’t read anymore. She was feeling a little nostalgic at this moment, so she took a few down to read downstairs while Mom was preparing dinner.

Bo watched the girl go. “Coast is clear, everyone.” The toys came alive and returned to playing Sorry and Go Fish. 

Slink crept out from under Molly’s bed and looked up at Bo. Bo jumped down from the nightstand and used her hoop skirt as a cushion, and she somersaulted expertly in Slink’s direction. She finally landed on her butt and sat before Slinky. “Hello,” she said.

Slinky said, “So how’s Goldilocks doing?”

Bo said, “Me or Molly?”

“Molly!” Slink said, laughing.

“She’s doing just fine,” Bo reached for Slinky’s paw and held it in her lap. “She wants to grow up faster. I don’t blame her!”

“Me neither,” Slink said. “She’s very mature for her age, I think.”

“That’s what she wants people to believe. I don’t buy it…”

Slink rolled and looked at Bo upside down. He said softly, “That’s ‘cause she’s your little girl.”

“Not for long...” Bo said. 

“Of course she is. Always will be.”

Bo said, “Well, that is true. But do you ever think about the day we will all be separated? We’ll be given to different families?”

Slink’s face went sullen and rolled right side up again. “I… never thought about it before. I’ve always been with Woody my whole life. But now that you mention it, it could happen.”

“It will happen. Molly doesn’t need a shepherd anymore,” Bo said. She looked down at her skirt, at Slink’s paw. She held onto it tighter. “I know the day is near. I feel it in my… spring.”

Slink held onto Bo’s hand with both paws. “Well, you’re still here. When the day comes, I’ll be ready. You’ll always be in my heart.” Slink’s voice wavered at this point. “And maybe someday… we’ll meet again.”

“Oh Slink, I won’t forget about you. I will always remember you, and Woody, and Teddy, and Buzz, and Jessie.”

Slinky shook his head. “I know you won’t, darlin’.” Slinky stood up and Bo leaned forward and they kissed. Bo got up as well. She placed her hand on the back of Slink’s head and the pair began to stroll like they were doing before Molly entered her room.

They climbed the bookshelf together, with Bo throwing Slink like a grappling hook to get to the next shelf. It was a normal everyday thing they did, it felt like instinct. They reached the very top of it and looked down at all the other toys milling about. A group of them was enjoying a big game of Sorry (people were partnered up and eight people were playing). It was a large board for the little figurines and they almost could fit on the spaces. It made Bo chuckle to herself. 

Bo said to Slink, “I really do love it here. You all make me so happy. But sometimes I wish we could all run away.”

“Why? And leave the Davis kids?” Slink thought of being played with Andy’s younger cousins, but remembered they didn’t live close enough anymore to visit often. Bo had a good point. Running away didn’t seem like a bad idea now.

Bo looked to the window, far down below them. “It would be so easy. No worrying about the next kid… if there even will be a next kid for all of us.”

Slinky said confidently, “Andy an’ Molly an’ Mom will take care of us. And it ain’t no good having so many toys out there to fend for ourselves.” Slink had such stubborn loyalty; not a surprising thing since he had been in this family for three generations. “But… I would go with you if you wanted me to.”

Bo turned to Slinky and said in a hurried tone, “No no I want you to be safe. You care about Andy’s toys very much. I understand that family is important to you. Besides, I’ll have my sheep.”

They looked down at the sheep, who were winning at Go Fish, with a large stack of pairs at their side. Other toys seemed very annoyed at them. Mostly at the fact that it was three heads to a hand while the rest were individual players.

“Them girls are mighty wily…” Slinky said. “But if you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

Bo just hugged Slink from the side and watched the festivities unfold.

In Andy’s room, there was a different type of commotion going on.

Jessie was riding around with one foot on Bullseye’s head and one foot on Robot’s head. They paraded her around the room. Jessie hollered, “Looky here, Woody! I got one foot in the past and one foot in the future!”

Woody was on the desk, shining Buzz’s helmet. It had gotten very fogged up over the years. “You look spectacular, Jess,” Woody said quickly, with not very much interest in a spectacle at all.

Jessie stood on her hands. “Buzzboyyy! Can you do this?”

Buzz waved his hand. “Later, Jessie! We can have a big competition.”

The horse and robot widened their gap for a moment and Jessie lost her hold on their heads. “WAHOOO!” And she tumbled to the ground in a heap of limbs. She untangled herself and reached for her hat. “Anyone else wanna try? Rex? Anybody? Slinky-“ Slinky had just entered the room “-OHHH SLINKY you would be PERFECT for this.”

“Ohhh not right now Jessie… I need some noodle-marinatin’ to do…” Slinky trodded off to his spot under the bed. “But you can show me how you did it since I just got here.”

“Okay but I’m gonna need a volunteer.” Jessie looked around the room. “What about you, Mrs. Potatohead? I could get you up there with maybe a balance beam or something.”

“Well if it makes you stop asking, I’ll do it.” Mrs. Potatohead found a ruler in Andy’s desk and tossed it down. “I’ll use this. Thankfully I’m not a coward like some people.”

Jessie clapped her hands happily and helped Mrs. Potatohead onto the beam on the two toys heads. She made sure Potatohead was balanced before she removed her hands and backed away. “Okay, boys, start slow.” 

Bullseye and Robot carried Mrs. Potatohead around the room in slow circles, then gradually picked up speed. Potatohead said, “I think I’m getting the hang of this!” She started moving back and forth on the ruler, making sure that her weight would not push one side of the ruler down too far - that would cause the other side to go up and then hit the toy on the head. To flaunt her balance even more, Mrs. Potatohead rotated her body while her feet were still planted.

“Just like a bird on a branch, Mrs. Potatohead!” Jessie applauded. Other toys were amazed as well.

Rex said, “Oh, me next!”

Mr. Potatohead said, “Do some juggling, that’ll really knock em dead!” 

Mrs. Potatohead complied by removing her ears and juggling them. Toys around the room oohed and aahed. Then she removed her nose and mouth and added them to the mix. Mrs. Potatohead’s mouth, between gaps while it was in the air, said, “I’ve never done- this one before- but I’m going- no visuals here - now!”

“Oh dear.”

“BABE NO!”

“She won’t do it.”

Mrs. Potatohead removed her eyes and juggled them with the rest of the parts.

Jessie exclaimed, “If that don’t beat all!”

All the toys around the room cheered very loudly as the juggling faceless spud circled the room very quickly on top of an unsteady beam. 

Then, Mrs. Potatohead started wobbling… Bullseye and Robot struggled to keep her in place. The three of them were headed toward Jessie! Finally, Mrs. Potatohead lost her footing, screamed, “MAYDAY!!!” and went crashing down on Jessie and both of their hats went flying.

Jessie pushed the toy potato off of herself and gathered all the pieces within her reach. Jessie helped put the pieces back in the right spots, but they couldn’t find her right eye.

“Oh my gosh, I’m sorry Mrs. Potatohead.” Jessie looked around for the eye still. 

Mrs. Potatohead picked up the fallen red cowgirl hat and put it on Jessie’s head. “It’s alright, it was really fun!!! It’s been a hot minute since I last juggled.” Jessie smiled at her in return.

Mr. Potatohead rushed to hug Mrs. Potatohead. “Aw potato pie, your eye!”

“P’shaw, we’ll find it!” Mrs. Potatohead went with her husband to go look for the eye somewhere else.

It seemed like the end of that since nobody could top that feat of greatness Mrs. Potatohead just pulled off. Jessie climbed from the chair to the top of the desk to see Woody and Buzz.

“Hi guys,” Jessie said cheerfully. “Y’almost done?”

“Aaalmost…” Woody said, scrubbing really hard with the wet piece of cloth he was using. 

Buzz said, “What’re you trying to do, make a hole?”

Woody looked at his work and decided he was finished. “Making a  _ whole _ lotta clarity out of your helmet is what I’m doing. You’re done. Fresh as a pearly dew.”

Buzz inspected his plastic visor all around and even turned his head like an owl. Jessie giggled when he did this. Buzz said, “Thank you Woody, it looks good as new.”

Jessie burst out laughing. “ _ That rhymed! _ ”

“Now why’re you in such a good mood?” Woody said.

“I don’t know! I’m just having a good day!” Jessie said. “Maybe ‘cause I love you guys so much.”

Woody smiled warmly. “Oh, Jessie.” He slid off the bed and looked up at Buzz and Jessie. “You can show us some of your new tricks again, if you still want to.”

It was true that Jessie had absolutely no reason to be such a bright light in the darkness. Jessie had nobody when her last kid stopped playing with her. Andy no longer needed them, but the toys had each other this time, and Jessie held onto that.

Both Andy’s and Molly’s toys stayed banded together, even when Andy and Molly stopped playing with each other. Jessie especially felt the need to comfort toys who were being played with less, regardless if they were from Andy or Molly. The other leaders felt it was just a sad fact of life, but Jessie knew how they felt and wanted them to feel like their home was still home. People sometimes called her Girl Woody, and Woody was Boy Jessie. Jessie and Woody were a lot the same, and it made Jess feel even happier about being part of something bigger than each separate toy. To have someone else be a part of you (in a literal sense too since Jessie and Woody were from the same toy line) was the greatest feeling ever for Jessie. 

Slinky Dog felt the same way too. When Slinky and Woody got a new sibling, it was like they could finally relax. Someone smart and optimistic and understanding… Jessie was good at mediating and sympathizing, especially after all the cynicism that was stirred up since Buzz came around. In a way, watching Andy grow up was also about watching the family grow up too.

However, Slinky and Bo knew a big part of the family would have to leave the house. Bo would not be seen again. 

And the rest had the right to know. Bo Peep told the rest of the leaders how she knew Molly didn’t need her anymore. Woody had a hard time believing Bo, but was willing to entertain the possibility. Buzz always accepted people’s word even if it was a sad truth. Jessie was very distraught… she was in denial again. Bo knew exactly what to say.

Jessie had run off to the windowsill by Andy’s bed.

Bo called up to her from way down on the floor. “Jessie, honey, it’s the truth.”

“Just please stop talking to me!” Jessie said. She drew her knees to her chest.

Bo almost spoke again, but knew how to be respectful at least. She turned to Slinky next to her. “Could you please talk to her?”

Slinky nodded and said to Jessie. “Can I come up there? I wanna make sure you’re okay.”

Jessie looked at Slinky with confusion and hurt. At least Slinky would always be there for her. Slinky is there for everybody. But Jessie said nothing.

“I’m gonna come up there and talk to you anyway.” Slinky had a duty and was determined to do it. He jumped up onto the nightstand and was close enough to talk to Jessie from there. He said, “Why are you so upset about Bo Peep?”

Jessie was hiding her face in her arms. “I just don’t want her to go. She’s a part of our family.”

“She ain’t gone yet. She just wants you to be ready to say goodbye. She ain’t gone.” 

Jessie peered down at Bo, who waited with her back turned to them. She was petting her sheep. Jessie said to Slink, “I don’t know why she would want to leave us.”

“Well I know her very well,” Slinky said. “She always loved to go out and feel the seasons. It’s a part of her… Like you’re a part of this family. Of me an’ Woody an’ the rest.”

Jessie sniffed as if to sniff nonexistent snot. “Well I can’t argue with that. But it won’t be the same… But thank you Slink. I will talk to Bo later.”

“Anytime.”

Jessie reached her arms out and Slinky smiled. He jumped to the sill and allowed Jessie to scratch his ears.

Bo turned around to see this and knew that everything was going to be okay here.

Bo did finally leave one day, on a terrible stormy night. She was there one day, and was simply gone the next. They all wondered if Molly really loved her at all. Maybe she was just embarrassed to have such a babyish lamp in the room.

It took a while for Woody and Jessie to let go of her. But Slinky knew that they would all understand with time. Family will always be with you if they are really your family. Even if they have to go their own way. 


End file.
